Almost 7,000 people deported or repatriated this year

A total of 6,800 who were residing illegally in Cyprus have been deported or repatriated so far in 2024 as part of efforts to return third-country nationals to their countries of origin, police said on Friday.

The figure applies from January 1 to August 22. During the corresponding period last year, the total number of people sent back to their countries of origin either through deportation or voluntary repatriation, numbered 5,977.

The most recent flight went out on August 20 under a joint operation with the European border agency Frontex. Police did not specify any other details related to the flight.

Police said this was the ninth joint operation with the agency for deportations and repatriations in 2024.

“The efforts of police and the immigration service to maximize the number of returns, continue,” a statement said.

According to Eurostat figures released earlier this week, Cyprus received 29.9 applications from first-time asylum seekers for every 100,000 people in May 2024 compared to its population, according.

The drop in first-time asylum applications in Cyprus between April and May 2024 was more than 80 per cent. In the EU as a whole, the number of first-time asylum seekers in May was 17.1 per 100,000 people.

According to the same data, compared to the population of each EU country Ireland received the most applications (37.4 per 100,000 people), followed by Greece (33.2), Spain (31.7), and then Cyprus.

In May 2024, Syrians remained the largest group of people seeking asylum in the EU (11,460 first-time applicants). They were followed by Venezuelans (6,170) and Afghans (5,535).

Numbers released in Cyprus last month showed that there are over 14,000 pending asylum-seeker applications from Syrian nationals.

Cyprus is pushing for the EU to designate parts of Syria safe, which will allow it to send back a number of people who have sought refuge on the island.